Lady of the Lord
by HRH Queen of Hearts
Summary: Sesshōmaru stood atop the mountain, the imp at his side shivering from the cold. They had been roaming for a while now. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He could smell her. Even from this great distance, he could taste her sweet aroma in the freezing air. She was ready for him. It was time.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

Rin glided through the trees, knife held tightly in her hands as she stared down at the deer with excited eyes. She stopped moving when her prey halted in its tracks to eat at some shrubbery. Her bare feet creaked against the wood with the wind as she shifted behind the trunk of the tree she was currently resting on. It was a doe. No antlers to be seen. She swiftly let her knees buckle under her and flipped downward, arms and legs spread wide open, ready to tackle the innocent creature.

A small shift in movement caught her eye. There, hidden in a nearby bush, was a fawn.

Rin acted quickly, grabbing hold of a nearby branch to try and redirect her fall. She sliced her hand as she swung away, flinging blood to the ground as she did so. Rin winced.

The deer, alerted by her presence, quickly looked around, taking in the bittersweet scent of her wound before leaping off into the safety of the forest.

"I-Itai!" Rin ground out, sliding down the trunk of the tree, trying to dig her short nails into the bark as she cascaded down.

Splinters lodged themselves in her fingers, but she clung on for dear life anyway. She let out a reluctant cry as she attempted to wrap her legs around the tree trunk. She shut her eyes tightly. She'd probably break a bone or two when she landed. Damn...If only that doe hadn't been a mother...

Suddenly a hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the tree. White fur brushed by her ankles, and the dark haired teen grew excited. She looked up to her savior with sparkling eyes. The smile was wiped off her face when she realized who it was.

"Oh, Kohaku," Rin said disappointedly, swinging a leg over Kirara.

"No need to sound so depressed," the demon slayer said back over his shoulder. "Watch out for the blade."

Rin hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso, heeding his warning to watch out for the weapon on his back. "Is it a new one?"

"Tōtōsai's been busy," he said as Kirara brought them up out of the forest and further into the air. "And apparently so have you." He frowned. "Does Inuyasha know you're out here?"

Rin laughed. "No." She poked his sides. "And don't tell him."

Kohaku's gaze shot up at the bright blue sky in exasperation. "Rin..."

Sesshōmaru's ward winced at his tone. "Oh, come on Kohaku. Sometimes a woman just needs to get out in the forest and explore."

"You didn't look like you were 'exploring,'" Kohaku shot back. "I saw you hunting that deer." He smirked. "Don't lie."

Rin bit her lower lip and shifted her weight on Kirara's back. "So what if I was?"

"You're a _girl,_ Rin," Kohaku reprimanded her, the village slowly coming in sight. "What were you gonna do with the deer once you killed it, huh?" Kirara started lowering herself to the ground. "Haul it back yourself?"

Rin stuck out her chin stubbornly. "I could have. Easily."

Kohaku sighed and ran his hand through his dark locks. "Right." Kirara prepared herself to land on the dirt ground near Kaede's old hut. "Why couldn't you go fishing like you used to when you were a kid?"

Rin swung her leg over the demon's back and leapt to the ground before Kirara had a chance to do so herself. She tumbled over, getting more dirt between her toes than necessary. The petite woman rolled to a stand, brushing the twigs out of her hair and grinned at a gaping Kohaku.

"Because I'm _not _a kid," she said happily. "I'm a huntress."

"Sometimes I wonder who the half breed is," Kohaku muttered, getting off Kirara once she had landed.

"Hey, I _heard _that," Inuyasha's voice ground out.

Rin shuddered and looked at the demon dog as he stomped his way over to her. She smiled hesitantly. So he _had _noticed she had taken longer than usual to go 'fishing'...

"Inuyasha," she said, waving at her lord's younger brother.

"Don't 'Inuyasha' me," the white haired half breed growled, taking in her shabby appearance as he came to a halt next to Kohaku. "If anything happened to you, Sesshōmaru would blame me, you know." He stared at the slit riding up the woman's legs to her thigh and blushed. "Would you put some damn clothes on?"

Rin blinked and looked down at her disheveled self. So she was showing a little more skin than usual. She shrugged and pulled a leaf out from behind her ear before scratching her scraped cheek lightly. It was one of the old kimonos Kaede had given her to wear for casual usage. The garments Sesshōmaru had given her were too precious for her to be roaming around in.

"Hai, hai," Rin sang sweetly as she hopped along, making sure to splash in some mud.

It splattered on her already torn hem and flicked on Inuyasha's cheek.

"Why you little—!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome's gentle voice came from behind him.

Rin smiled. Here it came...

"Sit, boy!" she declared with an irritated look on her face.

The half dog demon flew to the ground against his will, nose barreling deep in the dirt. His left eye twitched in anger.

"The hell was _that _for?" he growled up at his wife.

She ignored her husband, her bow slung over her shoulder. In her hands were shrubs that she and Jinenji had picked together. Taking in Rin's bloody fingers, she would have to whip up a healing tonic of some sort for the poor woman.

"Rin," Kagome said kindly, the priestess coming close to the younger woman and giggling at her appearance. "Maybe you should go wash up before Kaede sees you."

"Hai, oneechan!" Rin said earnestly as she followed orders.

Inuyasha rubbed his dirty cheeks and frowned, sitting cross legged in the small crater his face-plant had created. Damn that spoiled brat...He sighed and flopped on his back, leaning back on his hands as a pillow so he could look up at the clouds. It had been about a month since the last time Sesshōmaru had visited. His older brother should have been coming for his ward any day now for his monthly visit.

"Ne, Inuyasha," Kagome said slowly as Rin disappeared inside of Kaede's hut. "Isn't it about time?"

Inuyasha frowned. He pulled his legs back over his head before springing them forward, leaping up onto his feet. He dusted off the dirt from his red pants.

"Yeah," he said, tilting his head back and sniffing the air. "It's about time."

* * *

"_Yama no naka_," Rin sang, scrubbing the grime from beneath her nails, "_Mori no naka. Kaze no naka. Yume no naka._" She dunked her head underneath the water, tapping her toes against the foot of the bath. Rin resurfaced and took a deep breath. "_Sesshōmaru-sama doko ni __iru! Jaken-sama wo shita naete!_" Rin blew a few bubbles in the hot water and giggled. "_Watashi ha hitori de machimashou, Sesshōmaru-sama omodori wo..._"

Rin sighed and let her body sink in the warm liquid. She flicked her wet bangs away from her dripping forehead. It had been a while since she traveled with Sesshōmaru. About seven years or so. He had promised Kaede he would allow her to live in the village to experience life as a human. And, truth be told, she rather enjoyed it.

"Hurry up, child!" the old woman called from beyond the door, "Don't let the water get cold or ye'll catch ye death in there!"

"Hai, Kaede-obaasama!" Rin replied cheerfully, splashing the water.

Kaede shook her head and walked away, the floor creaking beneath her feet as she made her way over to Kohaku who was slurping back a bowl of soup beside an irritated Inuyasha and a calm Kagome. Listening to the old woman walk away, Rin slowly stood from the bath.

It used to be that she and the old woman had to walk to the river to get in a good bath. After an incident concerning one of the male villagers peeping when Rin had turned fourteen, Sesshōmaru had an extension built on the small house for a private bath. Needless to say, the male villager was never seen or heard from again. Normally such luxuries were saved for the rich, and Kaede was most certainly not of noble blood, but having Sesshōmaru's ward in one's household had its benefits.

Rin inhaled slowly, grabbing the towel that hung loosely from the hanger and wrapped it around her curvaceous frame. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, feeling the warmth of the steam around her. She tried to push away the pang of hurt inside of her chest. The steam, although hot, was nothing compared to the warmth she felt by Sesshōmaru's side. She slowly opened her eyes, the pain of reality hitting her hard.

When was he going to ask her to come along? When would he say yes to keeping her by his side?

The young woman's ears perked as she heard Kohaku's voice. "...She went hunting again."

"Again?" Kaede asked as Rin pressed her ear to the door. "And without the male villagers?"

"Hn," Inuyasha confirmed, crossing his legs beneath him. "I think she's really trying to prove herself."

Kaede shook her head tiredly. She was getting too old for this.

"What does she have to prove?" Kaede asked wearily, "Sessōmaru already dotes on her more than she could ever hope for."

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek and rubbed Kirara's head in her lap. "...Yeah, but he left her here so she could decide on her own whether or not she wanted to continue following him."

Kaede smiled softly. She remembered that conversation with the demon lord. He wasn't all too happy about the arrangement. In fact, Rin wasn't either at the time. She protested wildly, clinging to Sesshōmaru's fur with all of her might until he told her to dry her tears and go with Kaede. Immediately the young girl had done as he asked and watched with shimmering eyes and an innocent smile as both he and Jakken disappeared beyond the moonlight.

"You'll miss her, won't you, Kohaku?" Kaede asked, already knowing what the young woman's answer would be.

Kohaku didn't reply. He frowned and folded his arms, pulling his fingers away from Kirara's head. She growled up at him, her red eyes begging for more affection. He smiled bitterly and scratched behind the demon's ears.

"Yeah," he admitted, "But we always knew she'd follow him no matter what."

"Forever and always," Rin whispered to herself, clinging to the soaking wet towel tightly.

Kaede hummed in agreement. "I will miss her too. It will be so boring here without her." The old woman yawned tiredly. "Rin! Are you finished in there?"

"H-Hai, Kaede-obaasama!" Rin said, startled by the sudden holler of her caretaker. "I'll be out in a moment!"

Rin tugged the towel away from her damp body and yanked her robe off from the hook next to the door. She flung it around her shoulders and tied the obi tightly. She slung the wet rag back over the hanger and wrung out her hair over the bathtub. Quickly she turned, slipping on the wet floor beneath her and screaming as she came crashing down on her butt.

"I-Itai," she muttered, rubbing her backside right before Kohaku broke down the door with his newest weapon.

"What's wrong?" he shouted, standing in front of her, feet firmly planted and ready to kick someone's ass.

"H-Hai," Rin laughed, uneasily standing and taking his outstretched hand. "I just slipped, Kohaku."

The demon slayer looked down at her. He averted his gaze when he noticed her robe was opened slightly. He coughed and quickly helped her up. He turned away, and Rin couldn't help but giggle at his red ears.

"Arigatou," she thanked him.

"Y-Yeah," Kohaku said anxiously, eyeing the door he had kicked down, "W-We'll need to get this fixed."

"Mhmm," Rin hummed as she grabbed her clothing. "Kohaku?"

"H-Hai?" the demon slayer asked, his face strangely resembling a tomato.

"Would you mind leaving so I can change?" she asked lightly. "Or would you prefer to watch?"

Kohaku blushed furiously and walked away. "D-Don't say things like that! It'll make people misunderstand!"

Inuyasha snorted, grinning at the young warrior. "I don't think we 'misunderstand' anything..."

"Inuyasha, sit!"

Rin giggled and tightened her obi, making sure everything was secure. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stepped over the fallen door daintily. She quickly approached Kaede and Kohaku who sat on the floor, waiting for her to join them.

"Kohaku tells me you've been traipsing around the forest, Rin," Kaede said, motioning for the young woman to sit beside her and Kagome.

Rin shot Kohaku a look as she sat down between the two. "I nearly killed a deer today."

"Again?" Kaede asked with raised eyebrows. "Don't you have enough pellets for Sesshōmaru's return?"

Rin smiled at the back wall that held pellets of deer and small creatures. She was a huntress through and through. She never killed needlessly though. Everything she killed, she skinned and ate herself.

"There are never enough for Sesshōmaru-sama," Rin insisted politely, the grin on her face shining in the dim light.

Kagome smiled gently, rubbing her fingers over the balm she had made from herbs she had collected earlier. She took Rin's hands in her own and smeared the salve over her bloody cuticles. Immediately, a cool sensation ran up her fingers and deep into the injured skin.

"You really admire Sesshōmaru-onisan, don't you?" Kagome asked softly.

Rin smiled cheekily. "Hai."

"I don't know why," Inuyasha scoffed, folding his arms in his red shirt impatiently. "He's just a snobby, no good pureblood that—"

"_Sit, boy!_"

Inuyasha found himself with a face full of wood flooring. He glared up at Kagome.

"The _hell _did you do that for?"

Rin giggled. Even after all these years, Inuyasha still didn't know when to stop talking.

Kagome thumbed over Rin's cut on her cheek and frowned. Sesshōmaru would be coming any day to visit Rin. She was hoping the cream would work quickly on her skin. She shuddered to think what Sesshōmaru would do if he saw Rin in such a state. In the corner of her eye, she saw the look Kaede had on her face. Seemed the two priestesses had similar thoughts.

"Perhaps it's best if you don't hunt for the next few days," Kaede said slowly.

Rin frowned. "But the men in the village are going hunting soon." She tilted her head. "There's been talk of a mountain lion eating sheep. We're tracking it tomorrow..."

Kaede smiled. "But Sesshōmaru should be coming in the next few days. You don't want to miss him when he's here, do you?"

True, Rin did not want to miss a moment with the demon. She only got to see him a few hours each month, if she was lucky. Still though, even if she was out hunting, Sesshōmaru would know where she was. She smiled to herself. He _always _knew where she was. And if he didn't, he found out quick enough. If there was anything she learned from being captured and held hostage as a child, was that her lord would come for her no matter what.

"Kaede-obaasama," Rin said thoughtfully, "If you don't want me to go, you can tell me honestly."

Kagome, startled by the perceptive nature of the younger woman, let out a small laugh. Kaede, however, smiled.

"They're just concerned what Sesshōmaru will do if he finds you with bruises and blood all over," Inuyasha scoffed, tilting his chin up in pride. "Not like _I _care what _he _thinks..." He saw the irritation in his wife's eye. "...but while you're under my protection, I don't want the demon up my ass just 'cause you've got a scratch."

Rin nodded, tugging the folded blanket near Kaede's legs and wrapping both herself and the elderly woman in it. "I won't go hunting for the next few days then." She held back her disappointment. "But can Kohaku train with me?"

The slayer, who had been gulping back his soup, spat the liquid out. He covered his dripping lips with the back of his hand and stared at her in incredulity.

"If Sesshōmaru-sama finds _one _bruise on you, I'm _dead_," Kohaku said with a shiver. "No thanks. I'd like to live."

Rin huffed. Well, that was just plain irritating. What _could _she do over the next few days, then? She glanced at Kagome. A mischievous look crossed the younger woman's features and she scooted closer to the priestess.

"What?" Kagome asked, noticing Sesshōmaru's ward approach her. "What is it?"

* * *

"Chest out, eyes forward, and keep your arm up," Kagome instructed as Rin stood with the bow and arrow.

"Hai, Kagome-oneechan!" Rin said excitedly.

The young woman was just grateful the priestess had taken time out of her day-to-day life to teach her the art of archery. She had been practicing for years with Kagome, and it had become a regular occurence for her to work with Rin on her technique. While Rin was an excellent archer herself, she still thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Kagome.

"Ch," Inuyasha snorted, watching as Shippō floated in the air with a target on his back. "Try not to get injured this time, Shippō!"

"I-I'll be fine!" the fox demon shouted from above. "Rin's got a steady arm!"

Inuyasha grinned from his spot under a tree nearby. Even in the morning, it was a little too hot for him to sit out under the sun. He watched as the two women pulled their bows back, eyes on the target and backs leaning. He took the two in, watching proudly as his wife shot first, hitting Shippō's back target with ease. The fox demon squealed as he twirled around in the air, making it harder for Rin to hit him.

But the young woman set her fiery gaze on the target, and released her arrow as his chest faced her. Shippō shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the arrow to impale him when he turned once again, allowing the arrow to split Kagome's in half and lodged itself in the wooden target. Rin lowered her bow proudly and grinned at Kagome.

"Again!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Kagome laughed and blushed. Even though Rin was old enough to marry, she still had her childish tendencies. She supposed that was what made her so endearing. Her innocence had not been tainted despite her family's death and the world of demons.

"We've already done it for the past two hours," Kagome laughed, wiping a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek. "Aren't you getting tired?"

Rin smiled. "Of course not." She giggled and held the bow behind her back playfully. "Are _you _getting tired?"

Kagome laughed. She knew what Sesshōmaru's ward was hinting at: she wanted a challenge. Sadly, Kagome wouldn't be able to give her much of one, seeing as she could feel her arm throbbing. Two hours of straight shooting really took it out of the priestess. Still though, her pride was at stake.

"One more," Kagome said with a wink, "And then I've got to get to the well."

Rin gasped. "Sōta's coming?"

"Hai, hai," she replied, chuckling at her antics. "He's on break from school."

Rin twirled around the priestess happily. Ever since the Honekui no Ido had been opened and Kagome had come through it to return to Inuyasha's side, her family had the ability to pass through the well to visit her on occasion. The first time Rin had met Sōta, she immediately took to him. He had the same smile as Kagome and a bonus was that they were the same age. He was her playmate that visited occasionally from the other world.

"How long will he be staying with you?" Rin asked, coming to a halt in front of Kagome.

"About a week," Kagome laughed, drawing back her bow to aim at Shippō. "How about you clean up things here while Inuyasha and I go get him?"

Rin smiled cheekily, drawing her own arrow. "You're on!"

* * *

"Rin," Shippō whined, standing behind a bush, "I really don't think we should be doing this..." He swallowed nervously as Rin's white haori was flung over his head. "Wh-What if there's a pervert?"

Rin sighed, slinking off the pink hakama. "That's why _you're _standing guard."

Shippō tore off Rin's top from his head and turned his head back to the bush he stood behind. "B-But Rin—!"

The pink hakama hit him in the face. He scowled and let the material slink off of his body before he folded his arms and sat cross legged in irritation. They had already cleaned up the training grounds after Rin and Kagome had finished their shooting practice. Once finished, Rin had insisted on taking a bath...in the river. Something she did once in a while when Inuyasha wasn't nearby, and when Kaede was out.

She never really had to worry about Miroko or Sango telling on her, what with their two daughters and a son to keep their hands busy. As she stepped gingerly into the creek, she mentally made a note to visit the couple.

Water lapping against her toes, her feet sank in the muddy bank. She could see the fish swimming against the current, their slimy bodies wiggling as hard as they could.

"Ne, Shippō," Rin said, a glint in her eye that the fox demon wouldn't like if he could see it, "Are you hungry?"

Shippō's stomach growled in response. "Um...Yeah, I guess."

Rin immediately flung herself in the water, head first, catching a writhing fish in her teeth. She threw her head back, thrusting the fish over the bush and toward Shippō. She heard him shout in surprise and grinned. The water slid down her naked body as she stood in the water. Her hands shot in the water quickly and came up with a fish in each hand. She threw them over to Shippō who caught the pair with ease.

"I thought you wanted to _bathe_," he grumpily said, the live fish squirming in his arms._  
_

"Think of it as killing two birds with one stone!" Rin laughed happily as she threw herself into the current and snatched the fish up. "Lunch and a bath in one!"

"I thought Kaede-obaasama told you not to hunt," Shippō grumbled.

"I'm not hunting," Rin said defensively, "I'm fishing."

Shippō muttered something about how it's the same thing. She promptly thwacked his head with a fish.

"Gomenasai, Shippō!" Rin called.

"You did that on purpose!" Shippō wailed.

Rin laughed and flipped on her back to float along with the stream. There was something about being completely exposed under the sunny sky that thrilled her until no end. A nice summer breeze blew over her breasts, making her nipples rise. She shivered and plunged herself further in the water. It was warmer beneath the surface anyway.

With her ears covered in water, she couldn't hear Shippō call her name. With her eyes shut, she couldn't see the astonished look on Sōta's face as she came up for air.

But when she rose to meet the cool air, and she finally opened her eyes, she saw it all.

And so did Sōta.

* * *

Sesshōmaru stood atop the mountain, the imp at his side shivering from the cold. They had been roaming for a while now. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He could smell her. Even from this great distance, he could taste her sweet aroma in the freezing air.

It had been about a month since his last visit. And he did have another gift to bring the young woman.

"Jaken," Sesshōmaru said suddenly.

"H-Hai, S-Sesshōm-maru-s-s-sama?" Jaken asked through his chattering teeth.

"Let's go," he answered coolly.

"H-Hai, S-Sesshōm-maru-s-s-sama," Jaken replied in relief.

In a single leap, Sesshōmaru was in the air, Jaken clinging onto his fur for dear life.

She was ready for him.

It was time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

"How could you be so stupid?" Kagome shouted, tugging on Sōta's ear as they sat around a campfire, waiting for the fish Rin had caught to cook. "You run off as soon as Inuyasha mentions Rin's name and then you go and watch her bathe _naked_."

Inuyasha, on the other hand, had Rin's ponytail snatched up in his fingers and was hollering at the young woman. "How many times do I have to tell you? _Don't swim naked!_"

Shippō, Miroku, and Sango as well as their children stared on in mild amusement while the two were scolded. The twins looked at one another with cheeky smiles and their younger brother tilted his head curiously. Kohaku had his face in his palm while he sweat dropped. It was just too embarrassing to watch. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, suddenly questioning their decision to join their old friends for lunch.

Rin pouted, trying to force the half demon to let her go. "But Inuyasha..."

"Okaasan didn't raise a pervert!" Kagome continued. "Honestly, is this an influence of going to that all boy's high school? I knew okaasan shouldn't have sent you there. I warned her about the influence it could have on you..."

"Don't 'but Inuyasha' me!" the half demon howled, as Rin slowly slinked her hands over his shoulders and up toward his face, "Sesshōmaru left you under my protection and Kaede-obaasama's watch." Rin caught his white ears between her fingers and gently rubbed. "Which means, you little _brat, _that you need to listen to me when I say something—and would you _stop _that?"

He attempted to smack her hands away, but with his fingers full of her hair, he couldn't exactly keep her from doing so.

"But they're so fluffy," Rin giggled.

Inuyasha frowned down at her.

"I can't _believe _you saw her naked," Kagome pressed on, "If this is how you're going to act, I am going to drag you straight back to the well and force you back down it—"

"Come off it, Kagome," Sōta complained, managing to wiggle out of her grasp. "I'm the same age you were when you married Inuyasha." He rubbed his throbbing ear tenderly. "Besides, I covered my eyes and apologized to Rin." He glanced at Inuyasha smacking her upside the head. "...who you might want to be concerned about."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted before the tears could well up in Rin's eyes, "Sit, boy!"

Rin was immediately released as Inuyasha face planted at her feet. She grinned mischievously down at him.

"Thanks Kagome-oneechan!" Rin said excitedly, quickly running away from Inuyasha and over to the priestess' side. She gazed at her mentor happily. "Try not to be too hard on Sōta, ne?" She bit her lower lip bashfully. "It was my fault."

Kagome sighed and smiled at the younger woman. How could she stay angry with Sesshōmaru's sweet ward?

"I still don't understand how she's able to get away with so much," Sango stated, looking down at her own girls. "You two can't even get away with eating dessert before dinner."

Miroku sighed. "She has to be that innocent to follow Sesshōmaru around." He shrugged. "How else are you going to deal with a demon lord?"

"Killing him off would be nice," Inuyasha ground out, rubbing the grime off of his face.

Kagome's temple throbbed. "Sit!"

The twins laughed as Inuyasha fell face first in the dirt. "Kagome!"

"_Sit, boy!_"

* * *

It was Rin's least favorite part of her day. She quietly followed Kaede as she made her way around the village. She could feel the eyes of the villagers on the pair as she carried the elderly woman's things in a basket. The only ones she ever smiled politely to were the children and her fellow hunters. Everyone else...Well, she still had issues with her fellow humans.

"Kaede-obaasama!" one of the male villagers known as Yui exclaimed, coming up to the old priestess. "Would you and Rin like some help?"

"Of course," the priestess laughed uncomfortably, feeling Rin's hesitancy. "We would _love_ your help, Yui-kun."

Rin held back a grimace. While she had an almost _decent_ relationship with the village, she didn't like talking with the villagers all that much. So as Yui's fingers wrapped around the basket and brushed by her hands, she swallowed back a groan of disgust. If it had been anyone else, she probably would have had a better reaction. In fact, at that point, the village idiot, Hitori would have been better company.

"Sesshōmaru-sama hasn't asked you to join him yet, huh?" Yui asked bluntly.

Her eye twitched. "No, not yet."

"We expect he should be asking her very soon," Kaede assured him, trying to walk ahead so the young pair wouldn't see her smile.

"Right, right," Yui said, scratching the back of his dark head awkwardly. "Well, you ever think of staying in the village?"

Rin clenched her jaw tightly. Yes, it was common knowledge that Yui had a very deep infatuation with Rin. Ever since she arrived seven years before, he had latched himself to her and Kaede in an attempt to win over her affections. Clearly, it was _not _working.

"You could stay here, maybe," he continued, wistfully, "Start a family. Have a few children of your own."

Rin clenched her fists tightly. Her footsteps were growing louder and louder as they turned into stomps. The dirt beneath her bare feet dug into her toes. She rarely wore shoes, loving the feeling of earth underneath her.

"No, I'm not interested in those kinds of things," she said truthfully.

Rin had always been adventurous. She had sworn to be with Sesshōmaru forever, and she was going to keep to that promise. He led a life of kindness and drive for power. She was determined to be by his side every step of the way, right up to and beyond the point where he had his own empire. She was determined. A life without Sesshōmaru, to her, wasn't worth it.

"What about marriage?" Yui tried again. "Is there...anyone in the village you're interested in?"

Rin's ears perked up at the sound of another man following them. She tilted her head back and smiled at the person behind her. "Kohaku!"

Yui frowned. "Kohaku? You want to marry—?"

The demon slayer smiled and grabbed the basket away from Yui who was too shocked to do anything. He raised an eyebrow at the villager. He was a hundred years too early to flirt with Rin.

"I've got this," he said casually.

Yui took the hint and visibly deflated. He stopped walking with Rin and watched as the three made their way out of the village. Still though, he was determined. He would try again the next day, just as he always did.

"I thought ye were visiting Sango and Miroku," Kaede said, as they headed up the hill toward her house.

"No way," Kohaku laughed, "Those twins were up to no good. Besides, it's too noisy over there."

"And ye think it'll be any less noisy with us?" Kaede chuckled.

"Let's train," Rin encouraged him, her eyes lighting up at the idea of sparring.

Kohaku laughed and held up his hands as she half-heartedly threw punches at him. He deflected them with ease, jostling the basket only a little in the process. He grinned down at the woman.

"Whoa, Rin," he chuckled. "Remember, we're not training together with Sesshōmaru-sama coming to visit you any day now."

She pouted and clasped her hands stubbornly behind her back. "Hai..."

"Besides, with Sōta visiting, don't you want to go hiking in the forest?" he asked.

Rin pressed a finger to her chin thoughtfully. She did enjoy taking walks with the boy from the future. He spoke of funny things and sometimes brought her trinkets to play with. So she had to agree with Kohaku. If she couldn't train with him, she might as well go hiking in the forest.

"Hai," she finally agreed. "We can pick wild flowers for Kaede-obaasama." She giggled and wrapped her arms around the old woman. "Would you like that, Kaede-obaasama?"

"Ah," Kaede chuckled tiredly. "While ye do that, I will retire early for today."

Rin frowned and glanced at the sun. It wouldn't set for another few hours. She eyed the elderly woman worriedly. Was she having issues with her bones again? It was true the old woman had complained occasionally about her lower back. So without hesitation, Rin slipped her arm in Kaede's and smiled down at the priestess. Sometimes you just had to help someone, even if they didn't ask for it.

Kaede, feeling the warmth of Rin's arm against hers, grinned to herself. Sesshōmaru was a lucky demon to have someone like Rin in his life.

* * *

"A-Ano, Rin?" Sōta called from the bottom of the cliff, gazing up at the woman's minuscule body as she scaled the wall, "Are you sure you should be doing this?"

Rin laughed in response, fingers trembling as she gripped the rock above her. She set her footing properly and scooted up further. It was just out of her reach. If she was just a little taller...Pushing up on the ball of her foot, Rin managed to wrap her hand around the komakusa flowers, the pink petals billowing in the wind.

She heard the rock crumble before she lost her footing. As she fell back, she heard Sōta shout in worry. She smiled. Shifting her weight, and keeping her cool, she latched herself onto a single root that had managed to sneak out of the cliff. She felt her shoulder pop and she winced. She dangled there for a moment, trying to push past the slight pain. Slowly she pulled herself back up and close to the cliff once more.

"Rin!" Sōta breathed in relief._  
_

He had managed to convince Inuyasha and Kagome to let him go off with Rin in an effort to collect flowers for Kaede. What they didn't know, however, was when Rin went to collect flowers, she only wanted the ones that were the most dangerous to collect. That meant climbing cliffs, dodging poisonous snakes and sometimes reaching into the mouths of demons for the plants. This woman had a taste for adventure.

He tilted his head back, to watch her as she descended. Rin wasn't like any of the girls from his time. She loved roughing it in the woods and hunting down wildlife. She ran with the wind in her hair, eyes straight forward at all times, never looking back with regrets.

A twig snapped behind him. He froze. Slowly turning his head to look over his shoulder, Sōta came face to face with a mountain lion. He gulped nervously and held up his hands defensively.

"Rin?" Sōta hollered.

"Hai?" she shouted, backing down the cliff toward Sōta.

"You might want to stay up there," he replied.

"Why's that?" she asked innocently, glancing down.

Her eyes widened. She deeply inhaled the wind. While her sense of smell wasn't as good as Inuyasha's or Sesshōmaru's, her nose was able to pick up the familiar scent of the wild cat. So this _was _the same wild cat picking at the villager's sheep.

"Sōta," she called, watching as her friend backed away slowly, "Start climbing the cliff!"

"You don't have to tell _me _twice!" he yelped hastily as he scampered up the mountainous wall.

The mountainous creature purred hungrily, eyeing the young man as he made his way up the cliff. Rin bit her lower lip anxiously. He was never going to make it up in time. She had to act swiftly. Without hesitation, she flung herself downward, arms and legs spread wide apart. She wasn't too far from the tips of the trees. So what if she got a few scratches? It was better she get bloodied up than having Sōta get eaten.

As she felt herself get stabbed and slashed with the arms of the trees, she saw in the corner of her eye the mountain lion's attention diverted toward her. She smiled, shutting her mouth so she wouldn't swallow the leaves, before she got the wind knocked out of her as she landed roughly on a branch. She winced, feeling the blood drain from her leg as it dripped down her bare foot and fell to the ground.

The cat licked it from the ground and eyed her hungrily.

At a closer glance, Rin could see that this wasn't an ordinary cat. It wasn't a mountain lion like she had originally thought. No, this creature was a demon. A very smart demon at that. It managed to go unseen by Inuyasha and Kagome. No matter. Rin reached down her kimono and pulled out her knife. She would take care of it at once.

"Sōta," she said calmly, "Keep climbing. It's _kasha_, a cat-human yōkai."

Its flaming tail burned as it watched Rin with eager eyes. She tilted her head curiously. Strange. Didn't kasha like dead corpses instead of live humans?

"What do you want?" Rin asked, trying to reason with the creature.

"Your soul," it hissed, pressing its whiskered nose to the trunk of the tree and inhaling deeply. "Your blood..." It gripped at the wood, and made its way slowly up the tree. "Your _body._"

Rin felt shivers run up her spin. Nonetheless, she would kill it. It was that or be killed.

"You want me?" she asked, yanking off her shoe and holding it high in the air. "Come and get me!"

She threw it harshly down, grateful that Kaede had told her to put on some sandals for the nature walk. Tugging off the other, she threw it once more at the yōkai's head, and leapt away from the tree. In a flash, the kasha followed her on the ground, watching her every move, Sōta completely forgotten. Rin, heart pounding against her chest, shifted from branch to branch, going higher and higher, switching from tree to tree. She needed to get as far away from the human man as possible so he could escape.

Hopefully he had enough bravery to go get Inuyasha or Kagome. Unlike Kohaku, Rin was no demon slayer. And while she had full confidence in her ability to run quickly and defend herself, she wasn't so sure when faced with a demon.

Suddenly leaping into the air, the kasha slashed at the branch she had just jumped from. Rin struggled to push herself off of the tree trunk and toward the cliff once more. She smiled in relief as her fingers touched the rock, but screamed as her grip came loose. She was falling. She shut her eyes tightly. No. She _would _not die like this.

Opening her eyes in determination, she once more reached out to grab a ledge, latching onto the cliff for dear life. She could hear the yōkai stumble up the cliff in its desperation for her blood. She glared down at it as she pulled herself up. She couldn't go down. She had to get away from it. But it was so fast. It's hands and feet pattered against the rock quickly and its jaw unhinged, ready to swallow her whole and drag her to hell.

Rin looked at it in fear, she herself, scrambling as fast as she could. She knew she wouldn't be able to outrun it. She needed to get to a good place where she could—

And then she saw it. Just a few feet up ahead, to her left. She hopped upward, using as much of her adrenaline as she could to help her get to the ledge. With the blood loss and sheer exhaustion of running so much, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Rin pressed herself as close to the cliff as she could, waiting for the yōkai to come for her.

She was ready.

As soon as she caught her breath, it was there in front of her, flames engulfing her kimono and teeth sinking into her flesh. She held the knife to its chest and stared it straight in its green slitted eyes as she pushed the both of them off of the cliff.

"_What?_" the demon hissed, watching as Rin dug her blade further inside of it. "Are you that eager to die, ward?"

Rin's eyes narrowed. How did it know she was under Sesshōmaru's care?

"Urusai," she growled out, dragging her knife down its chest and toward its stomach. "You'll be the only one to die, demon."

She yanked the blade out and brought her knees to her chest. Pushing off of the dying yōkai, she managed to leap back onto the cliff. She used her knife to dig into the rock, and keep her hanging while the demon fell to the ground in a heap of fur and bones, reverting to its original form of a wild cat.

Rin sighed and pulled herself closer to the cliff. She shuffled through her pocket and whipped out the half broken and blood stained flowers.

She frowned.

Damn it.

* * *

Kaede had determined she was getting too old for this. When Rin had emerged from the forest with a dead kasha on her back, and a bloody bouquet of flowers for the elderly woman, the priestess nearly had a heart attack. Sōta had arrived a little earlier, shouting for Inuyasha to go to Rin's aid. He whipped out tessaiga just as the young woman limped up past a tree and smiled at the worried lot.

"You killed a kasha?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome cleaned Rin's wounds in the safety of Kaede's home. "Those things only attack when a dead corpse is involved." He glanced at Sōta. "The hell were you two doing?"

"Picking flowers," Rin said innocently.

"Near a burial ground?" Shippō asked, looking at her with bulging eyes.

"...Off a cliff," Rin answered truthfully.

"Shit, kid," Inuyasha cursed. "No wonder you're all bloody."

Kagome grimaced at Rin's gash in her thigh, secretly grateful for the lack of Sesshōmaru's presence. He'd have Inuyasha's head if he found Rin in this state. She dunked the cloth in her hand into the basin of water, staining it a deep red.

"I wonder why it attacked ye," Kaede hummed thoughtfully.

"Who cares?" Inuyasha asked, folding his arms and glaring at the young woman. "It's dead."

"Don't mind him," Kagome laughed, placing the warm cloth on Rin's leg, "He's just upset he didn't get in on the action."

Rin giggled. "Do you think Sesshōmaru-sama will be pleased with the fur?"

"I think he'll be pleased that you're alive," Kagome said, preparing the needle and thread for Rin's stitches.

The younger woman frowned at the sight of the sharp object and bit the sleeve of her torn kimono as Kagome sewed the large wound together. Even while going through the stitches, Rin couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had ruined one of Sesshōmaru's kimonos that he had given her. The blue material was scraped up and drenched in blood. There was no way she could save it.

"This slash," Kagome said slowly.

Inuyasha lowered his head to the young woman's leg and sniffed. "Made by a branch."

"Not that one, Inuyasha," she replied, pulling back Rin's kimono to show her infected shoulder.

"Fuck," he muttered, raising his head to look at the gaping wound.

He grabbed the collar of Rin's kimono and tore it open. Sōta and Shippō frantically averted their gaze, blushing at the sight of a woman's bare chest. Inuyasha, however, didn't care. He looked straight at Kagome who had covered her open mouth in surprise at the disgusting green pus on her shoulder.

"What?" Rin asked uneasily, "What is it?"

"Rin," Kagome said with a frown, "Just hold still. I need to purify it."

"The thing really dug its fangs deep in her," Inuyasha observed as his wife placed her hands over Rin's injured shoulder.

Rin winced as the healing light from Kagome's fingers pressed against her skin. The dark energy from inside of her was dragged out like water down a drain. Immediately, the pain subsided and the green flesh turned pale once more.

"You're lucky his teeth didn't pierce your heart," Inuyasha said.

"Luck," Kaede scoffed, eyeing the young woman's chest, "Luck had nothing to do with it."

Rin raised an eyebrow at her. What she had done was foolish, but the best option at the time. The creature had clearly wanted her. But Kaede had a point. Luck really had nothing to do with it.

"It...could have killed me," Rin said honestly. "If it wanted, it could have ripped my shoulder apart." She laughed nervously. "But it didn't."

"Maybe it wanted something from you," Shippō said, his gaze still set firmly on the door of the small home.

It earned him a thwack on the head from Inuyasha. "What the hell would a kasha want from Rin?"

She bit her lower lip. The yōkai _had _mentioned her being a ward...

Rin dismissed the thought as soon as it entered her mind. It must have been a mistake on the demon's part. Perhaps it just wanted to wait to kill her, or she caught it off guard with her own defense.

"I stabbed it when it bit me," she added, "So it probably hesitated because my blade was in its chest."

Kaede wasn't buying one bit of it. Inuyasha, however, nodded along. It made sense to him. He wouldn't question it. Sometimes demons just went on a power hungry rampage and felt like killing humans. He and Miroku witnessed it all the time in the local villages nearby. Besides, demons could only focus on one thing at a time. Not too often were they distracted with injuries from mortals, so when it did happen, it came as quite a shock.

"What happened to staying safe for when Sesshōmaru comes to visit?" Shippō grumbled.

Inuyasha sighed tiredly. Ever since Rin had joined them in the village, things had gotten more exciting. He wasn't so sure it was for the better. He definitely had one hell of a time protecting her as she grew older and more adventurous, trying to prove she was ready to go off with Sesshōmaru on his quest for power. Between her and Miroku and Sango's children, he had his hands full with keeping everyone out of trouble.

"I-Itai," Rin complained as Kagome washed the wound with the wet cloth. "Could you be a little gentler?"

"This is nothing," she replied, an evil glint in her eye, "Just wait until your bath."

* * *

"M-Matte!" Rin squealed, Kagome gripping at her shoulders and shoving the injured woman under the bloody water.

"You worry me sick, you know that?" she bit out, grabbing the soap and rubbing the suds in her dark hair.

Kagome's bare breasts ran against Rin's back and the younger woman blushed. When she was younger, she used to envy the older woman's breasts. Now that her own chest had grown measurably, she was pleased that the thoughts of comparison had vanished along with her small boobs. Still though, she hadn't bathed with Kagome in a while, and being injured and vulnerable wasn't exactly her cup of tea.

"Mou, Kagome-oneechan," she groaned grumpily. "I can do this myself."

"Urusai," the priestess ground out. "You can barely move your shoulder." She pinched the injured and purified peace of flesh where the demon had bitten her to prove her point. Rin yelped in response. "See?"

Rin puffed out her lower lip and sighed. "It's not _that _bad."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched and she shoved the brat under the water. Rin's air bubbles rose to the surface.

"Not that bad?" the angry woman growled, shoving Rin further under before releasing her grip. "Hah!"

Rin rose to the surface, coughing and playfully splashed Kagome. Face full of water, the priestess laughed and splashed the younger woman in return.

"What the hell are they doing in there?" Inuyasha's voice came from outside the bathroom.

Rin giggled, and looked over at the flimsy curtain that was the temporary replacement for the door Kohaku had broken down. "Inuyasha, stop eavesdropping!"

Kagome dumped water over Rin's head and shoved the woman in the bath once more. "You don't have time to be distracted, Rin."

Rin gurgled, her hands shooting out of the water and grabbed Kagome's breasts. The older woman yelped as her fingers pressed passed the mounds of flesh and toward her armpits, tickling her in the process. When she was laughing so hard, it was difficult to keep Rin at bay and she immediately came to the surface to lay a full blown attack on the priestess.

"Mou, not there, Rin!" Kagome giggled, the child's palms pressing into her breasts.

"Kyaa!" Rin laughed, tackling the priestess.

"Are you sure you're hurt?" she asked through her tears.

"Scratches like these are nothing, Kagome-oneechan!" Rin said cockily.

Kagome grinned. Yes, she supposed injuries like those _had _to be nothing in order for the young woman to continue following Sesshōmaru.

"Ne, Rin," Kagome said gently as the water splashed against the sides of the large bath.

"Hai," Rin giggled, blowing a bubble from the soapy water into the air.

Kagome watched as her eyes lit up. She sighed and smiled.

"Nandemo nai," she chuckled to herself. "Never mind."

* * *

Rin's eyes shot open as soon as Kaede's snores could be heard. She winced as she sat up, her muscles aching with every motion. She had managed to play it off with Kagome earlier, but in the privacy of night, she was free to show her painful expressions. She pulled back her blanket and gazed at the wound. It would take a good week or two for it to heal properly.

She twisted out of the sheets, and slowly stood from her mat. She slowly made her way toward the door, mindful of Kaede's breathing. She slipped behind the flimsy curtain and stepped outside. She let out a hiss of pain as she limped into the night. She glanced up at the lining tied between two old trees that held up the still dripping wet fur of the kasha.

She gave it a half smile, half grimace as she staggered beyond it. She hoped Sesshōmaru would be pleased. After all, everything she did was for him. Even from an early age, she had decided to stay by his side forever. She laughed to the stars in the sky.

Oh, how _foolish_ she was.

She was well aware how short a human lifespan was in comparison to eternity. It was _nothing_. Sesshōmaru would continue walking as an immortal while her corpse rotted in the ground beneath his feet. But even still...a lifetime with Sesshōmaru was all she was asking for. Her forever would be much shorter than his, but still so meaningful.

Rin tripped on a root, her leg lagging slightly behind. She winced and glanced down at her bloody robes. She needed to clean the bandages. Just beyond the goshinboku where Inuyasha had once been shot against with Kikyō's arrow, was a river Rin could wash her blood away with. Kaede had told her to wake her if the wound reopened, but she was an old woman. Rin didn't want to bother her with something she could handle herself.

Rin shifted barefoot through the bushes and felt it scratch against her robes. She didn't care if it had been left behind. At that point, she was so out of breath from sheer pain, she could hardly see. She supposed that was what she got for acting tough all the time. Pretending her wounds were nothing was a terrible mistake.

Still though, she yanked the bloody clothing off of the bush and dragged it along with her, even as it slinked off of her shoulders. She could feel the ground getting wetter as she approached the river. Just a little further and she'd be able to cool her wounds with some fresh water. Her feet hit the bank, sloshing in the shallow end of the river as she waded in.

She sighed in relief as the water rose to meet her. Her flowing blood washing away with the current of the river. Yes. This was all she needed. The night and the river. Rin glanced down at the dark liquid pouring from the stitches Kagome had done. It would soon shut. It would just take some time.

Her eyes widened as she counted the stars in the water. They shimmered like a mirror for the sky. She smiled and rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Sesshōmaru-sama," she murmured quietly, the pain in her chest from her injuries burning.

She lowered herself to embrace the cool sensation. Inuyasha would probably smell her if she stayed standing. If he caught her out in the middle of the night, she would get scolded. It wasn't something she wanted to deal with time and time again. She pouted, playing with the water. She wasn't a child anymore. She was at the age where she could, if she so chose, marry and start a family. Not that that was what she ever wanted.

Her gaze softened. All she ever wanted was forever with Sesshōmaru.

A twig snapped behind her, and Rin gasped. A pervert? No. They weren't so clumsy around her. Not after Sesshōmaru had killed the last man to try and peep on her. Inuyasha? She sniffed the air. It wasn't his scent. So then who could it...?

A pair of glowing red eyes stared at her from the darkness.

Rin smiled and rose, trying to cover herself with her soaked robes. "S-Sesshōmaru-sama?"

But when the owner of the eyes growled, Rin knew it wasn't her lord.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

"Jaken," Sesshōmaru said as he stood in a field of grass.

"Hai, Sesshōmaru-sama?" Jaken asked, his little feet pattering as he brough A-Un along with him. "What is it you want, master?"

The lord inhaled deeply. The smell of human blood was strong in the wind.

"...I'll be going ahead."

He leapt up into the moonlight and disappeared from his servant's side in a flash of white. Jaken stared in astonishment after him.

"S-Sesshōmaru-sama!"

* * *

_Thud._

_Thump._

_Thud._

_Swish._

_Swoosh._

Rin refused to stop running. She was not going to be that snake demon's late night snack. She couldn't even look over her shoulder to see how close the thing was to her. She heard its thick scales shuffling through the trees and bushes. It was just toying with her. She was the mouse in this game. Rin barely had enough breath to scream, let alone keep this up. But she refused to give in. She willed her feet to keep pounding against the forest floor, even as the blood gushed down her leg.

She was certain Inuyasha could smell the demon by now. And if not the demon, then he could at least pick up on the massive amount of blood she was losing. At that point, _anyone _should have been able to smell the blood.

She was so dizzy. She was losing too much blood. She couldn't stop though. The demon was close behind.

She kept pushing forward. Gritting her teeth, her pants came out in short puffs of air. Rin kept pushing. She knew they were slowly coming to a clearing. She had to avoid it. She needed to keep swerving in between the trees to try to slow the demon down.

And then it decided to strike.

As Rin collapsed to the forest floor in a heap of broken sobs and gasps, the demon snake enclosed its jaws around the tree trunk where she had just been. It snapped the tree in two, letting it splinter off and fall as it turned to its prey. Its red eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching Rin struggle as she tried to get up. Hungrily, it eyed her.

Its slithering tongue licked its fangs, dripping with acidic venom, as it hissed. She gasped as the venom poured from its fangs to the leaves by her feet, drilling a hole in the ground where it fell. She scrambled away, rolling under a bush as she dodged yet another attack from the demon. Fingers digging into the dirt beneath her, she could feel her body shake in fear.

She needed to scream, but her throat was too dry. She needed to call for help, but the words would not come. She shut her eyes tightly. She had to conquer her fear. She had to _move _and defend herself. She slapped both her cheeks hard with her palms and set a determined gaze on a moonlit path. She would run. She would run as hard and as fast as she could to get away from the creature.

If she wanted to spend forever with Sesshōmaru, then she needed to survive.

Dragging herself to her feet, she started running again. She weaved between the trees, trying to slow the snake down with its long, slinky body, but it plowed through, knocking down trees in its path in its rampage. The blood from Rin's open wounds was driving it crazy with desire. Her bare feet, bruised and sticky from her blood, hit the ground hard, pushing her forward and driving her onward.

But her legs were giving out, and Rin silently cursed her inability to run faster. She was staggering over the rocks as she felt the incline in the woods. She was getting further and further away from the village. She winced when her robes were ripped on a branch, and sliced a bit of her stomach. She exhaled sharply and let out a small cry.

"Sesshōmaru's ward," the demon hissed. "I want your blood."

Again with the ward talk. She didn't understand. If these demons wanted her because she was Sesshōmaru's ward, then clearly they had some issues with him. While yes, even she knew his weak spot for her; it wasn't wise to attack her. If the two demons that had assaulted her wanted to die, this was a sure way to do so. When Sesshōmaru found out, the night sky would be painted red.

Rin's lower lip trembled.

Should she call for him?

She paused.

Would he come?

She dismissed the thought immediately. He would come for her like he always did. No matter how far away he was, he would come for her. So she took a deep, shaky breath as she parted her lips to call for her lord.

"Kaze no Kizu-da!" Inuyasha shouted, rising from the trees and coming down on the demon from the air.

The demon was sliced in half and fell lifelessly to the forest floor. Rin, overcome with relief, sighed as bits of the creature were flung into the air. The threat was gone. She was finally safe.

"The _hell _are you doing out here, kid?" Inuyasha bit out, placing his sword back in its sheath as he made his way over to her. "You're lucky I could smell your blood."

Rin took a shaky breath and placed her hand over her pounding heart. "I-I was trying to clean my wounds."

Inuyasha sent her a glare and folded his arms. "And you couldn't have gotten the old hag to come with you?"

"_Sit boy!_" Kagome's voice screamed in the silent of the night.

Rin let out a nervous giggle, one that only came out when she was too terrified to cry. She was _safe._ She clutched her ripped robes tightly and made her way over to Inuyasha, who was now face down on the forest floor. The dog demon glared up at his wife, rubbing his nose angrily.

"What the hell, Kagome?" he snarled, spitting out the dirt from his mouth.

"You _left_," she growled, coming out from behind a bush, "Right when I was about to _orga_—"

She stopped speaking when she realized Rin was there. She could feel her cheeks heat up under the starlight and carefully plucked at her bow embarrassedly. She glanced down at her ruffled, disoriented clothes awkwardly. When Inuyasha had interrupted their sex right when she was about to orgasm, he muttered something about smelling a demon, before he flipped off of her, yanked on his clothes quickly and ran out the door.

Kagome, barely having enough time to process what had happened, screamed in frustration, put on a robe or two to cover herself up and ran off into the forest after him, wondering what the hell was going on. Needless to say, she understood the situation pretty damn well now that she saw a bloody Rin standing in front of her. She blinked. Speaking of which...

"Rin," the priestess said worriedly, "Why are you out here?"

"A damn demon was after her," Inuyasha replied harshly.

"I-I was cleaning my wounds when it attacked," Rin explained quickly.

Kagome frowned at the blood trailing down her legs. "We need to get you fixed up again."

Rin smiled. "It's fine." She put on a brave face. "A few stitches here and there should do the trick."

Kagome could see right past the facade. She may have been fooled earlier, but now she could see the traces of fear in the corner of her dear friend's eyes. Whatever scolding she was going to give her, it was not going to happen tonight. No, tonight Rin needed to be comforted.

"Why don't you come to our place?" Kagome asked softly, "Inuyasha can leave a note for Kaede-obaasama."

Rin, hearing the gentle touch in her voice, swallowed. "I would like that."

"And maybe we can call for Sesshōmaru-onisan," Kagome said, pressing the envelope a bit further. "I'm sure he'd like to know what's been going on..."

Inuyasha was about to snap at her. Call for Sesshōmaru? _That_ was a bad idea in and of itself. If Sesshōmaru were to come, then clearly he'd look down on Inuyasha as incapable of protecting his ward. It wasn't like he was purposely trying to put the woman in danger. She practically brought it on herself, the little brat. Her taste for adventure and her need to be a warrior put her in immense danger at times.

"N-No!" Rin said, her voice hiking up an octave as she protested before Inuyasha could.

Kagome stared at her. Strange. Normally the younger woman thoroughly enjoyed the idea of the demon lord coming to visit her.

"I-I just don't want him to see me like this," Rin said, her cheeks turning red underneath both Inuyasha's and Kagome's eyes.

Kagome smiled gently. Oh. Yes. The little huntress was simply _smitten _with Sesshōmaru. She just didn't want to worry him.

"Ch," Inuyasha sneered, "He can probably smell your blood by now." He casually placed the back of his head in his hands and let out a snort. "Maybe he'll see you all bloody and figure you're more trouble than you're worth." He grinned cheekily. "Probably won't ask you to follow him."

"_Sit boy!_"

* * *

Sesshōmaru stared at the destroyed village in front of him. The smell of burnt flesh and wood filled his nostrils, causing a scowl to form at his lips. He narrowed his eyes at the bloody corpse beneath his feet. Piles of humans had been tossed aside like sacks of rice, their lives thought of as meaningless. He didn't cringe at the sight of a small girl clinging to her mother even in death, nor did he mourn the man holding his lover's hand, as they lay lifeless on the bloodied ground.

He did, however, tighten his jaw at the smell of demons. They had been long gone after destroying this village, their faint smell still blowing in the wind. Judging from the way the village had been swept clean of life, and from the way the building had been torn down, it appeared that the demons were looking for something when they had passed through. Whether or not they had found it, he wasn't sure.

Sesshōmaru felt tenseiga throb at his side. He shifted his gaze.

_Do you want me to save them, tenseiga?_

The sword shifted in its sheath. The demon lord drew the blade. Very well then. He would do as the sword wanted. He held it out in front of him, blue light pulsating from the blade and immediately gracing the dead humans of the village life once more. He could see the light in a small boy's eyes return, and he heard the breathing of an old woman stagger to a pleasant pace.

"W-What happened?" the little girl groaned at his feet.

His gaze softened as he stared down at her, his face unchanging to the untrained eye. Her dark tresses and innocent expression reminded him of the first girl he ever brought back to life. The mother, who had also awoken, gasped at the sight of Sesshōmaru and immediately clasped her daughter's shoulders wordlessly, fearful of the powerful demon. He paid her no heed. He knelt down, eyes never leaving the small child's as he did so. He did not stop until he was eye to eye with her, his back straight and with the posture of the lord he was.

"What happened here?" he asked in a demanding voice.

The small child trembled, and wiped the dried tears from her bloodied face. "D-Demons came..."

Sesshōmaru did not say anything. This was useless information to him. _Clearly_ demons came. Their disgusting scent had drenched the village and it was taking every bit of him not to gag from the vile smell of incompetent wastes of creatures. Judging from the look in her trembling eyes, she had nothing more to tell him.

"Get out of here, demon!" a man bravely shouted, holding a pitch fork in his hand as he stood in front of his family nearby.

Sesshōmaru did not bother to look over at the mortal. His gaze was still fixated on the small girl. This place was only a few hours from Rin's village, and the demon lord did _not _like it. He did not like it one bit. So he deeply inhaled once more, closing his eyes to memorize where the vile scent was coming from.

His eyes shot open, set determinedly on the path before him.

It was time to get rid of these unwanted pests.

* * *

"This had better be good," Miroku grumbled as he walked side by side with Inuyasha down the dimly light path.

He had been sleeping peacefully, his children tucked in their beds and his wife thoroughly satisfied once he finished his husbandly duty, when all of a sudden Inuyasha broke into their home and growled at the perverted priest to get a move on it. After he hastily threw on his robes, he found himself walking side by side with the dog demon in the middle of the night toward the forest.

"I smell demons," Inuyasha muttered, sniffing the air, "Lots of 'em."

"What?" Kohaku asked, inhaling sharply, holding his sword up tensely.

"Relax," the white haired demon replied, placing a hand over his friend's to force him to lower his weapon. "I've got this."

Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha..."

While he had full confidence in Inuyasha's abilities, the idea of going at a bunch of demons in the middle of the night was not something he was willing to entertain. Things had been quiet since Naraku had died, and only stragglers of demons here and there would pass by their way in the local villages. So for there to be a swarm of demons heading their way, it must have meant something was up.

And both Miroku and Inuyasha didn't like the thought of that.

"Rin's been attacked twice in one day," Inuyasha said, his eyes watching the woods dark woods carefully.

"Do you think they're after the village?" Kohaku asked, feet padding on the soft dirt ground.

"Dunno," Inuyasha replied, his fangs showing as he smirked, watching demons of all kinds emerge from the forest, "But I'm not about to find out."

Miroku sighed and folded his arms, digging them into the folds of his clothes to pull out charms. "Just like old times, eh?"

Inuyasha's look darkened. "Just like old times."


End file.
